Henry Lumley Drayton
Sir Henry Lumley Drayton, PC KC (April 27, 1869 – August 28, 1950) was a Canadian lawyer and politician.
Sir Henry Lumley Drayton | |
---|---|
Member of Parliament for York West | |
In office 1921–1928 | |
Preceded by | Tom Wallace |
Succeeded by | James Lawson |
Member of Parliament for Kingston | |
In office 1919–1921 | |
Preceded by | William Nickle |
Succeeded by | Arthur Ross |
Personal details | |
Born | Kingston, Ontario, Canada | April 27, 1869
Died | August 28, 1950 81) | (aged
Political party | Conservative Progressive Conservative |
Profession | Lawyer |
Born in Kingston, Ontario, the son of Philip Henry Drayton, who came to Canada with the 16th Rifles of England, and Margaret S. Covernton, Drayton was educated in the schools of England and Canada. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1891 and was created a King's Counsel in 1908. He married Edith Mary Cawthra and had three daughters.
From 1893 to 1900, he was an Assistant City Solicitor for Toronto. In 1900, he formed a partnership with Charles J. Holman. In 1902, he was appointed Counsel to the Railway Committee of the Ontario Legislature. From 1904 to 1909, he was a County Crown Attorney for the County of York. In 1910, he was appointed Counsel for the Corporation of the City of Toronto. In 1911, he was appointed to the Toronto Power Commission. In 1912, he was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Board of Railway Commissioners for Canada.
He was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada from Kingston in a 1919 by-election as a Conservative Party candidate. He served as Minister of Finance under both Sir Robert Borden and Arthur Meighen until the Conservative Party's defeat in the 1921 general election. Drayton kept his seat in that election.
In 1927, he was a candidate the leadership of the Conservative Party, but finished in last place. Drayton retired from politics in 1928 to become chairman of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.
He attempted to return to Parliament in the 1945 election from a seat in Victoria, British Columbia, but lost narrowly to the Liberal candidate.